Puri Pure And Simple

WEST IS WEST directed by Andy De­Emmony, written by Ayub Khan-Din. 103 minutes. A D Films release. Opens Friday (March 25). See listing.

Om Puri, one of india's most sought-after and iconic stars, has a riveting presence, and it's in full view in his new release, West Is West.

He plays George Khan, reprising his role as the Pakistani transplant he introduced in the 1999 hit East Is East.

The star of nearly 200 films made in India and the West, including Charlie Wilson's War and Deepa Mehta's Sam & Me, Puri has his young co-star Aqib Khan in tow as he promotes the sequel at TIFF last year.

"Recently, Indian cinema has become aware that it has the potential to reach out to the world," says Puri in his rich baritone, responding to a question about Bollywood's surging popularity on this side of the ocean. "They didn't make any attempt before because they had such a huge market back home. But we're still making movies with song and dance and silly plots."

"But outside of India those movies are more for Indians living in new countries," interjects Khan, interrupting the veteran. "People go to see them because they're nostalgic for home."

Khan plays George's son Sajid, desperate to shed the ways of the old country. To change his mind, his father, George (Puri), takes him back to his home village.

Though Sajid can't stand his dad, Khan clearly grasps that Puri sets the standard for South Asian actors.

"Acting with Om... I can't say how it felt, it was so in the moment. I just watched him - the way he talked to people, the way he did things. He was a great role model."

Puri warns fans of East Is East that West Is West has less of the first film's fish-out-of-water comedy.

"This one has more drama and emotion. It was wonderful to see Linda Bassett back (as George's wife) with the same chemistry."

Even in India, followers of Puri's mainstream work may not recognize the names of many of his movies. That's because there he's the darling of the art house circuit, the go-to guy for artists making India's version of indie films.

"My first love will always be art films," Puri says soberly. "It's a pity that we consider cinema solely a source of entertainment. I don't deny the entertainment part of it, but cinema is capable of doing so much more. Entertainment with a purpose makes so much sense. To concentrate only on the box office and how much money a film is going to make, to compromise keeping that in mind - that's unhealthy."